hiram steyexs maxim



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)A

H. s. MAXIM. GAS OPERATED ORDNANCE.

@No Model.) 2 Sh eeeeeeee et 2. H. AXIM. GAS PBR ED ORDNANE.

Patented Sept. 15, 1896.

UNiTnD STATES PATENT' Gamen.

' IIIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, OF BEXLEY, ENGLAND,

XORDEFEL'I GUNS AND AUM ENGLAND.

ASSIGNOR TO TIIE MAXIM- UNIT'ION COMPANY, LIMrrED, or LONDON,

GAS-OPERATED ORDNANOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,604, dated September 15, 1896.

Application led January 3, 1895. Serial No. 533,702. (No model.) Patented No. 241,573; in Belgium Dec France December 14, 1894,

No. 84,767; in Italy December 27,1894,XXIX,37,

To r/.H- whom, if muy #mic/'rm Beit known that I, IIIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, mechanical engineer, a citizen of the United powder in which the greater part of the work States, residing at Bexley, Kent,

England,

havel invented certain new and useful Improveniente in and Relating to Automatic Guns, (for which I have Obtained Patent as follows: In England, No.

Letters 20,627,

vdated October 27, 1894; iii Belgium, Certifiro cate of Addition to Pat-ent No. 113,213, dated December 15, 1894; in France,

Certificate of Addition to Iatent No. 241,573, dated December 14, 1894, in Germany, No.

dated December 24, 1894; in Austria, No.

45/470, dated February 9,1 S95,

XXIX, 37,950, LXXiv,

and in Italy, o, dated December 27, 1894,) of which the following is a specification, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings.

zo This invention relates to automatic or Maxim guns, and has for its object to adapt the same to work more efficiently than heretofore with the cartridges now commonly used in firearms, that.

projectiles.

charged with smokeless powder and is to say, cartridges iight It has'been found that with cartridges -such as those above referred to the recoil energy is in some instances too feeble to satisfactorily operate the breech mechanism.

the energy I have therefore provided improved means whereby of the recoil movement can be increased in such a manner that any form or also known that the arrangement of the automatic mechanism 5 can be efficiently operated thereby.

accuracy of fire can be It is considerably increased if the pressure at the instant the projectile leaves the barrel is somewhat low 4o pressure..

which a with relation to the initial \Vith a slow-burning powder, in low initial butahgh mean pressure is maintained throughout the entire lenefth of the barrel, it has great pressure on the '.45 and the escape of been found that t el base of the projectile gas radially between the barrel and the projectile at the instant the latter is leaving the barrel often causes the projectile to be thrown slightly out of line,

ember 15, 1894, 950, LXXIV, 256, and in Austria February 9, 1895,11'0. 45/4'70.

in England October 2'7, 1894, No. 20,627; in No. 113,218; in Germany December 24, 1894,

and the accuracy of fire is consequently interfered with to a serious extent. With a 5o behind the projectile is allowed to escape just before the projectile `leaves the barrel, the 6o gases escaping While the projectile is still engaged with the rifling. In this manner the pressure is reduced 'sufficiently to admit of much more accurate firing than has been heretofore practicable.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an advantageous manner of carrying my invention into effect, Figure 1 being a longitudinal section of the muzzle ot' 'the gun, and Fig. 2 an end elevation thereof. 3 and 4 are enlarged views showing, respectively, alongitudinal section anda transverse section (the. latter being takenon the line w w of Fig. 3) of the muzzle end of the barrel.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 7 5 2, the barrel ais, according to my presentinvention, prolonged, so that the muzzle projects through the front end of the cylinder b, and said barrel is enlarged at a and formed with a reduced portion a2, whereby a shoul- 8o der is produced at a3. Imlnediatelyin front of this shoulder I cut a series of radial apertures a4 a4, which extend from the bottom of the grooves of the ri fling, as best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, and communicate with a cavity or 8 5 chamber b', formed between the short cylinder l1,surrounding the ba1're1,and the reduced portion a2 of said barrel, said cylinder being screwed or otherwisel connected to the framing or water-jacket c of the gun. This sur- 9o rounding cylinder is provided with an orifice ax at its front end, through which the reduced portion a2 of the barrel projects when said barrel is in its firing position. An annular cavity or groove b2, having exit-apertures b3 95 b3, communicating with the atmosphere, is

Figs. 7o

1.o 1 ing upon the shoulder lprojectile passes forward 'formed in the walls 0f the Said cylinder and extends around the enlarged portion of the barrel in proximity to the shoulder a3. will thus be seen that when the 'gun is red the barrel first moves backward or recoils by reason of the inertia of the projectile therein.

This action is still further increased as the beyond'the aper tures a4 by the high-pressure gases in the barrel entering the cavity as, thereby vassistin g 4 the recoil movement by forcing back the barrel. At the same .time the. pressure ofthe gases immediately behind .the projectile is reduced just before said projectile leaves the barrel, and in this man-ner'the inaccuracy of firing hereinbefore alluded to is avoided. .As

soon as-the shoulder recedes far enough toA enter the annular cavity or groeve b2 the v p annular cavity or groove b2 gases are at liberty to escape into the atmosphere through the apertures b3. i

- The muzzle end a? made of such a length that on the iiri'ng of the .gun the muzzle will bel fully retracted into the chamber b', so as to leave a space communicating with the atmosphere between said muzzle and the orifice ax, throughwhich.

the gases can escape'. In this inanner the can be dispensed with.

It will be seen that by reason ofthe radialv apertures a4 extending outwardly from the bottom of the grooves a5 of the riiling they do'notinv any way interfere with the moving projectile, 'as it is well known that when the projectile is near the muzzle of the barrel it never touches the bottom of the grooves, but only yrests on the land's By varying the diameter ofthe barrel, the area of the shoulder as, the dimensions of the cylinder b, or the number and size of the apertures the apparatus can bemodified ac- Itl of chamberjband actl of the .barrel may ibo.v

cording to the 'amount of energy required for the eliicient and satisfactory operation of the breech mechanism. p

By .this invention I can avail' myself of so much of the energy of the recoil that I am enabled to make the parts of the mechanism much heavier and stronger than heretofore., and thereby much better adapted to the use of charges of smokeless Ipowder.

What I claim is- 4 l. InV an automatic gun the means orv appa- Aratus forv increasing the recoil energyconsisting in the combination with abarrel formed with a shouldera3 and radial apertures a4, of a surrounding cylinder b having an orifice ax through .which-the muzzle a2 jects, said cylinder being space or chamber b into which the gases from the barrel enter, to force back the barrel, and from which they escape into the atmosphere substantially as described.

2. In an automatic gun the means or appa- `with the.atmosphere,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my .hand this thday of December, 1894.

I. l HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM. Witnesses: I n

`TOM FRANCIS BARNES,

` I .FRANK O. BAIsLEv.

normallyproprovided with ya 

